Personal Space and Eye Contact

Studying personal space is important. Proximal disease behavior is not only a form of self-defense but also an unconscious part of controlling human behavior and interactions. Personal space is essential to people as there is a warning that someone may be harmful to others if too close. Several studies are trying to explain how proxy behavior works and what factors influence it. For example, in previous experiments, when people faced tall people, they found they were far from being in front of a dwarf.

As a very important part of human behavior, personal space and eye contact have attracted many scientists and research institutions. As evidenced by Jeff Hughes and Morton Goldman (1978), how eye contact and experimental alliance changes will affect individual's spatial infringement. The definition of the term "personal space" differs from person to person. Personal space can be defined as the area that an individual maintains around himself, and others can not enter that area without causing discomfort (Hayduk, 1978).

Eye contact is closely related to personal space. When establishing eye contact, gender type and facial expression are variables that may affect whether personal spatial violation occurs. In conversation with other women, women tend to maintain better eye contact. In general, women consider eye contact as a sign of trust and compassion (Hughes & Goldman, 1978). This interpretation indicates that eye contact can affect people's relationship. Also, eye contact has cultural differences.

Chinese have personal space (M = 48.48 cm) longer than eye contact (M = 32.48 cm). Except for Chinese people are against the above groups. Compared to Chinese, they often require more personal space when they are touching their eyes. People other than Chinese have personal space (M = 78.04) larger than eye contact (M = 60 cm). Looking at Figure 3, we can see that the elderly 's eye contact is easier than young people. The personal space (M = 66.58 cm) in the elders' eyes is longer than no eye contact (M = 44.86 cm). In addition, young people have less personal space than elderly people (M = 32.07 cm) (no eye contact) in either case.

Variables that are not often manipulated in individual space research are eye contact. As Buchanan and colleagues saw on field trials. (1977), men prefer to invade other people's personal space that does not offer much eye contact, usually than other men who offer direct eye contact. Another experiment he did showed that "women's subjects want to violate the personal space of the women's allies who established eye contact." It also shows that women tend to avoid intrusion into the private space of men who are in direct contact with women.